Jesus observed how people put money in the treasury. He saw the rich putting in money out of their abundance and a poor widow putting in a lepta (two small copper coins) out of her poverty. The lepton was a currency used in ancient Greece; and a lepta has the equivalence of 1/64 of a denarius, a Roman currency. In early Roman Empire, the daily wage for an unskilled labourer and common soldier was 1 denarius. So even though it was a very meagre amount, she was commended by our Lord for her generosity. I wonder how she lived after that? At any rate, those who sow bountifully shall reap bountifully (2 Cor 9:6).
James said that pure and undefiled religion is to visit the orphans and widows in their distress (Jas 1:27). Earlier on, the religious leaders were plying Jesus with questions, trying to trap Him. But they were unable to do so. Jesus ended the exchanges with the remark that religious people like to make a show of themselves. And unlike what James advised, they would not hesitate to take advantage and swindle widows (Mk 12:38-40). It takes a widow, and a poor one at that, to demonstrate what God looks at. God does not look at the external performances of men but rather the internal workings their hearts.
God also notices when we give to Him today. Whether we give tithes or offerings, He knows because Malachi talked about the nation of Israel robbing God (Mal 3:8). We open ourselves to curses if we fail to pay our tithes and give our offerings. On the other hand, we if honour the Lord with our substance, He would open heaven's windows to rain down blessings on us. Those who fear God and esteem His name will be remembered by Him and will be a part of His special possession (Mal 3:16-18). The arrogance of men is again taken note of by God (Mal 3:13-15). Let's examine daily our hearts' condition before God that we may present unto Him acceptable offerings of both our praise and substance.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Children
The Bible tells us that children are a gift or heritage from the LORD (Ps 127:3). In an age and time when couples are having difficulty conceiving and our population is not replacing itself, indeed the fruit of the womb is a reward. The Scripture continues, "How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." (Ps 127:5). Unlike the generations of our forebears who had many children, the younger generations are not keen on having more than two. It could be due to the effective campaign by the government to stop at two or more possibly, the changing demands in modern living, where the cost of raising children does not come cheap. Well those who have more are certainly blessed by the LORD; some say a quiver full contains at least a dozen arrows like Jacob of old.
Children, when they are young, are bundles of joy to behold and cradle. Young parents would soon find that their lives would revolve around their child(ren). From changing diapers (or nappies) to feeding and outings, these are the exciting journeys every parent goes through. Whenever they are not well, not only will there be the anxious moments but also the long wait to see the pediatrician, especially a popular one. Feeding your sick child with medicine could also pose a great challenge and sometimes we need God's wisdom to guide us. I remembered we tried mixing the medicine with our child's milk one time to get the sugar to go down. Somehow the young child would be able to detect the difference and refused to drink. But we managed nonetheless.
When children are slightly older, we can do a lot more talking, reading and playing with them. The time invested in our children when they are young would certainly not go to waste. Many young parents leave it to their child-minders to look after their kids without counteracting the possible harmful effects this arrangement could bring. As parents, we read to our children Children/Bible stories and taught them how to pray. It's wonderful to hear their prayers when they were young because it reveals the simplicity of a child-like faith. In one of the many voice recordings made when they were younger, they prayed for an oikos couple who longed for a child but were apparently unable to conceive. Together with the prayers of the saints, the couple eventually conceived the next year and had yet another child later.
The Bible instructs fathers not to provoke their children to anger but to raise them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph 6:4). Implied in this verse is the control men ought to have over their faculties and emotions, especially their temper. Because they are young and impressionable, the things we say and do would leave a lasting impression on our children. Instead, we are to role model the life of a believer in the way we live out our Christian life. There is a need to teach them the Word of God and how to pray; more importantly how to go about maintaining a consistent devotional time with God. This is all part and parcel of Christian discipline and virtues that we ought to inculcate in them. Our elder child does not seem to have much problem in this area but the younger one needs more reminding. As we train our children in the way they should go, when they grow old they will not depart from it (Pr 22:6).
Children's education is an area where parents can fret much over. Many would start planning ahead of time where they would like to put their child(ren), whether it be playgroup, nursery, kindergarten or primary school. Young children have no choice to determine their school destiny; parents would choose for them based on their judgment as to what is expedient for them. We chose for our children a kindergarten and a primary school that is affiliated to an Anglican church as we would like to imbue in them Christian principles and values. Of course, the reputation of the schools concerned also played an important role in our choice. Getting into the primary school wasn't automatic as my wife had to volunteer her services. It was through much prayer and fasting that our elder child secured a place.
Now that they are much older, our children can and have made a choice regarding which secondary school they would like to attend. However, we still had to guide them and give them all the necessary information to help them make an informed choice. We encouraged them to work towards their respective goals by attaining good results for their PSLE, pumping in resources wherever possible. Sheryl by virtue of her artistic talents would like to go to SOTA but admission was through DSA. She didn't have an art portfolio, so I got her to see my Art teacher colleague who graciously agreed to help and guide her. I believe the skills sets that she picked up in building up her portfolio and going through the Talent Academy selection test cum interview would stand her in good stead for future challenges. To cut the long story short, she got into SOTA and has successfully completed Year 1. She has been inspired during the holidays to do a lot of artwork to hone her skills.
Shermaine on the other hand went to Anglican High, another missions school near our place. She has been doing very well in her studies and is enjoying her CCA which is NPCC. The camaraderie forged both in class and in her CCA has been wonderful. In their teenage years, friends or peers play an important role in shaping our children's destiny. We have to keep an eye on the people they are mixing with to ensure that there are no harmful influences. This year she applied for the Temasek Academy (through DSA) after having visited the School Open House and talked with us. Again to cut the long story short, she has been accepted and would start the new term next year in the Integrated Programme of TJC. She made it through on the basis of her own merits. It would certainly be a new chapter for her as she works toward getting a good A level certificate, while Sheryl her International Baccalaureate diploma.
Children in their teenage years will have a mind of their own, learning to assert their independence yet at the same time still dependent on us. As parents, we have to continually engage them. Our roles would have to evolve as well; from that of being a parent to that of being a friend or mentor as they grow up. At any rate, the joys and tribulations of parenthood continues.
Children, when they are young, are bundles of joy to behold and cradle. Young parents would soon find that their lives would revolve around their child(ren). From changing diapers (or nappies) to feeding and outings, these are the exciting journeys every parent goes through. Whenever they are not well, not only will there be the anxious moments but also the long wait to see the pediatrician, especially a popular one. Feeding your sick child with medicine could also pose a great challenge and sometimes we need God's wisdom to guide us. I remembered we tried mixing the medicine with our child's milk one time to get the sugar to go down. Somehow the young child would be able to detect the difference and refused to drink. But we managed nonetheless.
When children are slightly older, we can do a lot more talking, reading and playing with them. The time invested in our children when they are young would certainly not go to waste. Many young parents leave it to their child-minders to look after their kids without counteracting the possible harmful effects this arrangement could bring. As parents, we read to our children Children/Bible stories and taught them how to pray. It's wonderful to hear their prayers when they were young because it reveals the simplicity of a child-like faith. In one of the many voice recordings made when they were younger, they prayed for an oikos couple who longed for a child but were apparently unable to conceive. Together with the prayers of the saints, the couple eventually conceived the next year and had yet another child later.
The Bible instructs fathers not to provoke their children to anger but to raise them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph 6:4). Implied in this verse is the control men ought to have over their faculties and emotions, especially their temper. Because they are young and impressionable, the things we say and do would leave a lasting impression on our children. Instead, we are to role model the life of a believer in the way we live out our Christian life. There is a need to teach them the Word of God and how to pray; more importantly how to go about maintaining a consistent devotional time with God. This is all part and parcel of Christian discipline and virtues that we ought to inculcate in them. Our elder child does not seem to have much problem in this area but the younger one needs more reminding. As we train our children in the way they should go, when they grow old they will not depart from it (Pr 22:6).
Children's education is an area where parents can fret much over. Many would start planning ahead of time where they would like to put their child(ren), whether it be playgroup, nursery, kindergarten or primary school. Young children have no choice to determine their school destiny; parents would choose for them based on their judgment as to what is expedient for them. We chose for our children a kindergarten and a primary school that is affiliated to an Anglican church as we would like to imbue in them Christian principles and values. Of course, the reputation of the schools concerned also played an important role in our choice. Getting into the primary school wasn't automatic as my wife had to volunteer her services. It was through much prayer and fasting that our elder child secured a place.
Now that they are much older, our children can and have made a choice regarding which secondary school they would like to attend. However, we still had to guide them and give them all the necessary information to help them make an informed choice. We encouraged them to work towards their respective goals by attaining good results for their PSLE, pumping in resources wherever possible. Sheryl by virtue of her artistic talents would like to go to SOTA but admission was through DSA. She didn't have an art portfolio, so I got her to see my Art teacher colleague who graciously agreed to help and guide her. I believe the skills sets that she picked up in building up her portfolio and going through the Talent Academy selection test cum interview would stand her in good stead for future challenges. To cut the long story short, she got into SOTA and has successfully completed Year 1. She has been inspired during the holidays to do a lot of artwork to hone her skills.
Shermaine on the other hand went to Anglican High, another missions school near our place. She has been doing very well in her studies and is enjoying her CCA which is NPCC. The camaraderie forged both in class and in her CCA has been wonderful. In their teenage years, friends or peers play an important role in shaping our children's destiny. We have to keep an eye on the people they are mixing with to ensure that there are no harmful influences. This year she applied for the Temasek Academy (through DSA) after having visited the School Open House and talked with us. Again to cut the long story short, she has been accepted and would start the new term next year in the Integrated Programme of TJC. She made it through on the basis of her own merits. It would certainly be a new chapter for her as she works toward getting a good A level certificate, while Sheryl her International Baccalaureate diploma.
Children in their teenage years will have a mind of their own, learning to assert their independence yet at the same time still dependent on us. As parents, we have to continually engage them. Our roles would have to evolve as well; from that of being a parent to that of being a friend or mentor as they grow up. At any rate, the joys and tribulations of parenthood continues.
Friday, November 12, 2010
The Book of Galatians
This is an epistle on freedom - not a freedom to do anything we like but a freedom given to us through faith in Jesus Christ. The key verse is found in Gal 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Apparently, some Judaizers who professed to be Christians were demanding the people to obey the Jewish law for full salvation and spirituality. Paul had to correct the Galatians for their erroneous thinking by telling them that Christ has indeed set them free from observing the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament (Gal 5:2-3). What's important for believers is that they walk by faith and be led by the Holy Spirit (5:16-18).
We are free in Christ but that freedom does not mean we can indulge in the deeds of the flesh (5:19). Paul listed specifically what these acts of carnality are:
1) Desires: immorality, impurity, sensuality (sexual sins & perversion)
2) Divination: idolatry, sorcery (witchcraft/deception/bondage)
3) Disharmony: enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger
4) Disunity: disputes, dissensions, factions, envying
5) Destruction: drunkenness, carousing
The ultimate goal of Satan is the destruction of our soul/body.
The antidote against licentious living is to live by the Spirit, allowing Him to reproduce His fruit in our lives (5:22-26). Notice the singular fruit consists of 9 aspects: love, joy, peace (Godward attributes), patience, kindness, goodness (outward attributes), gentleness, faithfulness and self-control (inward attributes). When we exercise the fruit of self-control, we prevent disharmony, disunity and destruction from rearing their ugly heads.
How do we cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives?
1) Spend time communing with God.
2) Respond to the Holy Spirit's conviction.
3) Pray and ask God for His fruit to be reproduced in us.
When you act on #3, be prepared that God will bring about situations in which you would be put to the test. It does not matter how many times we may have failed God, the important thing is to rise up again and walk with God, repenting of our wicked ways and seeking His ways once again.
Gal 2:20 is a verse which I memorised when I was in Sunday School, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." This verse talks about our identification with Christ in His death; our carnal flesh should be crucified with Him. When we are in the body, that is still on earth, we need to exercise faith in the Son of God. And this we will continue to do until we see Him face to face in heaven, by then there would be no need for faith. The verse ends with the fact that God loves us dearly. Let us reciprocate that love by living for Him.
We are free in Christ but that freedom does not mean we can indulge in the deeds of the flesh (5:19). Paul listed specifically what these acts of carnality are:
1) Desires: immorality, impurity, sensuality (sexual sins & perversion)
2) Divination: idolatry, sorcery (witchcraft/deception/bondage)
3) Disharmony: enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger
4) Disunity: disputes, dissensions, factions, envying
5) Destruction: drunkenness, carousing
The ultimate goal of Satan is the destruction of our soul/body.
The antidote against licentious living is to live by the Spirit, allowing Him to reproduce His fruit in our lives (5:22-26). Notice the singular fruit consists of 9 aspects: love, joy, peace (Godward attributes), patience, kindness, goodness (outward attributes), gentleness, faithfulness and self-control (inward attributes). When we exercise the fruit of self-control, we prevent disharmony, disunity and destruction from rearing their ugly heads.
How do we cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives?
1) Spend time communing with God.
2) Respond to the Holy Spirit's conviction.
3) Pray and ask God for His fruit to be reproduced in us.
When you act on #3, be prepared that God will bring about situations in which you would be put to the test. It does not matter how many times we may have failed God, the important thing is to rise up again and walk with God, repenting of our wicked ways and seeking His ways once again.
Gal 2:20 is a verse which I memorised when I was in Sunday School, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." This verse talks about our identification with Christ in His death; our carnal flesh should be crucified with Him. When we are in the body, that is still on earth, we need to exercise faith in the Son of God. And this we will continue to do until we see Him face to face in heaven, by then there would be no need for faith. The verse ends with the fact that God loves us dearly. Let us reciprocate that love by living for Him.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Sowing Generously (2 Cor 9:6-11)
The apostle Paul wrote 2 Corinthians in defense of His apostleship. Apparently false teachers had challenged his authority and right to be an apostle. They accused him of vacillating in his promise to come and as such his words could not be trusted (1:15-24). However, Paul was legitimately delayed until he knew of their repentance since he wished to come in order to carry the collection to Jerusalem and exercise apostolic authority in disciplining the unrepentant (2:1-11). There were most likely two other letters which Paul wrote to the Corinthians which were lost (1 Cor 5:9; 2 Cor 7:8).
Coming back to our text at hand, "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." (v 6). Whatever holds true in the agricultural sense, is also true in real life. A farmer who sows plenty of seeds would naturally expect a bountiful harvest compared to one who sows very little, baring any unforeseen circumstances. Paul was encouraging the people to give generously to help the poor in Jerusalem. And when they do so, God would cause all grace to abound to them (v 8). Notice that this grace enables one to keep doing good work at all times and with all our needs being met.
There are certainly many opportunities to give apart from the church tithes and offerings. I remembered in my school/uni days, I used to support a child under World Vision for several years; contributed to para-church organisations for Bibles/Christian materials to be printed and exported to countries where there were great needs. I also supported a fellow church brother who did missions work with Operation Mobilisation in U.K. In non-monetary terms, we can give through providing services or goods. I remembered giving free tuition to some church friends during vacation period.
When we give, we don't expect anything in return because God's grace will continue to abound in us. We cannot outgive a God who is generous towards those who exercise faith (Jas 1:5). God provides seeds for us to sow or bread for us to eat (v 10). For all of us who are able to work to earn a living, we should be thankful that Jehovah has given us the ability to make wealth (Dt 8:18). We are to be wise stewards of the manifold blessings (be it money, goods or services) God has bestowed on us. Certainly we can put bread on the table for our family to eat and at the same time give of our additional resources to help others. That's should be a good working model for a believer (Eph 4:28).
Ask God to show you whom you can bless today. For some, it may be a financial need and yet for others, it may be an encouraging word or help that could be rendered. As we give, God will enlarge the harvest of our righteousness. Hopefully the people whom we touched would be drawn closer to the Lord.
Coming back to our text at hand, "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." (v 6). Whatever holds true in the agricultural sense, is also true in real life. A farmer who sows plenty of seeds would naturally expect a bountiful harvest compared to one who sows very little, baring any unforeseen circumstances. Paul was encouraging the people to give generously to help the poor in Jerusalem. And when they do so, God would cause all grace to abound to them (v 8). Notice that this grace enables one to keep doing good work at all times and with all our needs being met.
There are certainly many opportunities to give apart from the church tithes and offerings. I remembered in my school/uni days, I used to support a child under World Vision for several years; contributed to para-church organisations for Bibles/Christian materials to be printed and exported to countries where there were great needs. I also supported a fellow church brother who did missions work with Operation Mobilisation in U.K. In non-monetary terms, we can give through providing services or goods. I remembered giving free tuition to some church friends during vacation period.
When we give, we don't expect anything in return because God's grace will continue to abound in us. We cannot outgive a God who is generous towards those who exercise faith (Jas 1:5). God provides seeds for us to sow or bread for us to eat (v 10). For all of us who are able to work to earn a living, we should be thankful that Jehovah has given us the ability to make wealth (Dt 8:18). We are to be wise stewards of the manifold blessings (be it money, goods or services) God has bestowed on us. Certainly we can put bread on the table for our family to eat and at the same time give of our additional resources to help others. That's should be a good working model for a believer (Eph 4:28).
Ask God to show you whom you can bless today. For some, it may be a financial need and yet for others, it may be an encouraging word or help that could be rendered. As we give, God will enlarge the harvest of our righteousness. Hopefully the people whom we touched would be drawn closer to the Lord.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
The Waters of Baptism
Spoke at the Water Baptism service this afternoon based on the following text (1 Pet 3:18-21 NIV):
18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Water baptism has a rich symbolic meaning. It's a sacrament instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ to remind us of our identification with His death and resurrection. The flood waters in Noah's days speak of the death of the wicked, which typifies carnality in our sinful flesh. Baptism also speaks of the death of Christ and the believer who places his trust in the Lord. The apostle Peter mentioned that water baptism is not to be seen as a ritual to remove dirt from our physical body but rather a step of obedience taken to pledge in following God fully.
The way to live with a good conscience before God is to allow our spirit man to be washed by the "waters" of baptism. The waters of baptism is a picture of
1. The Word of God - Christ has cleansed the church by the washing of water with the Word. When you're submerged in the waters, it represents the Word having full authority over your life. It should govern your thought and behaviour in life.
2. The Holy Spirit - the river of life that flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev 22:1). When you're submerged in the waters, it represents the Spirit having full control over your life. He would lead and guide you into all truth.
When we bathe, we clean ourselves on the outside. However, the clean ourselves on the inside, we need to allow God's Word and Spirit to rule over our inner man; obeying His Word and responding to the Spirit's prompting would cause us to speak and act in a manner pleasing to God. When we do so, we take steps in crucifying the sinful nature and to allow God's grace to work in our lives. It is important that we spend time in solitude with God - praying in the spirit and meditating on His Word. May the sacrament of water baptism reminds us of our pledge to live before God as such - letting His Word richly dwell within us (Col 3:16) and being constantly filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18) in order that praise and thanksgiving will flow freely from our lips to God the Father. That's how water baptism saves us - when we allow God to complete His work in us through His Word and His Spirit on a daily basis.
18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Water baptism has a rich symbolic meaning. It's a sacrament instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ to remind us of our identification with His death and resurrection. The flood waters in Noah's days speak of the death of the wicked, which typifies carnality in our sinful flesh. Baptism also speaks of the death of Christ and the believer who places his trust in the Lord. The apostle Peter mentioned that water baptism is not to be seen as a ritual to remove dirt from our physical body but rather a step of obedience taken to pledge in following God fully.
The way to live with a good conscience before God is to allow our spirit man to be washed by the "waters" of baptism. The waters of baptism is a picture of
1. The Word of God - Christ has cleansed the church by the washing of water with the Word. When you're submerged in the waters, it represents the Word having full authority over your life. It should govern your thought and behaviour in life.
2. The Holy Spirit - the river of life that flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev 22:1). When you're submerged in the waters, it represents the Spirit having full control over your life. He would lead and guide you into all truth.
When we bathe, we clean ourselves on the outside. However, the clean ourselves on the inside, we need to allow God's Word and Spirit to rule over our inner man; obeying His Word and responding to the Spirit's prompting would cause us to speak and act in a manner pleasing to God. When we do so, we take steps in crucifying the sinful nature and to allow God's grace to work in our lives. It is important that we spend time in solitude with God - praying in the spirit and meditating on His Word. May the sacrament of water baptism reminds us of our pledge to live before God as such - letting His Word richly dwell within us (Col 3:16) and being constantly filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18) in order that praise and thanksgiving will flow freely from our lips to God the Father. That's how water baptism saves us - when we allow God to complete His work in us through His Word and His Spirit on a daily basis.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
In Praise of God (Ps 145)
This is a lovely psalm to meditate on as it declares the praises of God, who is the object of our worship. The psalmist, David, began by extolling God himself (v1-2) and then brought in the generation(v4), followed by the whole of creation (v10). God is praiseworthy and we can't do enough praising by ourselves. So we see the progression from the single to the many.
Next, we note the frequency of praising God. David talked about praising God everyday (v2). Do we do so, or is it just on Sundays or days when we meet together as a church? This is one major pre-occupation of the angelic hosts in heaven and would be ours too when we get there (Rev 5:11-14). So we had better learn how to praise God aright here, because as David declared, "I will praise Thy name forever and forever." Within his heart, David knew that he would continue living beyond this world's existence because God's kingdom is everlasting (v13).
We moved on to the name or character of God. The Hebrew concept of a person's name carries with it the identity of the person. Just as the name Daniel means "God is my Judge", Daniel lived his life to a ripe old age walking righteously, knowing that the pagan kings whom he served were not really his judges, but God alone. When we bless or exalt the name of God, we are declaring His worth as a person of character and substance. Let's take a look at some of the characteristics of God that David praised Him for:
1) Great God & King (v1,3) as seen in His glorious splendor (v5) and through His mighty acts (v4) and awesome works (v6).
2) Abundant goodness and righteousness (v7,17)
3) Gracious and merciful (v8)
4) Slow to anger and rich in love (v8)
5) Faithful to all His promises (v13)
6) Kind (v17)
We can follow David's example in praising God by declaring His worth. God is our Protector (v14) and our Provider (v15-16). This psalm closes with wonderful promises to those who
a) call upon Him in truth (v18) - His presence is assurd
b) fear or reverence Him (v19) - His provision is abundant
c) love Him (v20) - His protection is encompassing
Let's speak of the praise of the LORD and bless His holy name forever and ever (v21).
Hallelujah!
Next, we note the frequency of praising God. David talked about praising God everyday (v2). Do we do so, or is it just on Sundays or days when we meet together as a church? This is one major pre-occupation of the angelic hosts in heaven and would be ours too when we get there (Rev 5:11-14). So we had better learn how to praise God aright here, because as David declared, "I will praise Thy name forever and forever." Within his heart, David knew that he would continue living beyond this world's existence because God's kingdom is everlasting (v13).
We moved on to the name or character of God. The Hebrew concept of a person's name carries with it the identity of the person. Just as the name Daniel means "God is my Judge", Daniel lived his life to a ripe old age walking righteously, knowing that the pagan kings whom he served were not really his judges, but God alone. When we bless or exalt the name of God, we are declaring His worth as a person of character and substance. Let's take a look at some of the characteristics of God that David praised Him for:
1) Great God & King (v1,3) as seen in His glorious splendor (v5) and through His mighty acts (v4) and awesome works (v6).
2) Abundant goodness and righteousness (v7,17)
3) Gracious and merciful (v8)
4) Slow to anger and rich in love (v8)
5) Faithful to all His promises (v13)
6) Kind (v17)
We can follow David's example in praising God by declaring His worth. God is our Protector (v14) and our Provider (v15-16). This psalm closes with wonderful promises to those who
a) call upon Him in truth (v18) - His presence is assurd
b) fear or reverence Him (v19) - His provision is abundant
c) love Him (v20) - His protection is encompassing
Let's speak of the praise of the LORD and bless His holy name forever and ever (v21).
Hallelujah!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
School Examinations
"Examinations" - that's a dreaded word for all students who have to go through it, which is usually around this time of the year or end Oct/early Nov for the 'O' and 'A' levels respectively. The P6s would have completed their PSLE and some secondary students have ended their final examinations; they are heaving a great sigh of relief. Whether taken in the middle or end of the year, examinations serve several purposes for which they've been constructed.
For one, it enables students to revise and review their work in order to keep abreast with knowledge and skills set that are essential for the next level of work. Often times, future topics/subjects to be covered build upon earlier materials learnt. Though exams may create stress and anxiety amongst students, it nonetheless provides the impetus for students to work on grounding their concepts. This is where they could turn to their peers or tutors for help. As they do so, they pick up the important soft social skills in communicating and relating with one another. It is also a good way for them to develop courage and initiative.
Secondly, examinations serve to provide feedback to teachers and students concerning their level of mastery where different subjects are concerned. Teachers often practised "positive marking", which means, rewarding students for the correct knowledge and skills they have displayed. So a well constructed test paper would be able to ascertain the amount of acquisition a student has attained. If it is a formative exam, it would allow teachers to tailor their lessons accordingly to help their students level up their knowledge and skills. However, some exams are placement exams which serves as an instrument to allocate students into different schools according to their ranking amongst their cohort; the PSLE being a case in point. In this regard, competition for choice schools are thus decided.
For the students, examinations do provide them with feedback regarding where they've gone wrong such as making a careless mistake or not understanding a topic well. Taken in the right spirit, it should spur a child to improve on his/her performance the next time round. Students often lament that they do not have the time to cover the topics for the exams due to their heavy commitment in CCAs or other activities. This is where they need to learn how to plan and organise their schedules and priorities, which again are essential life-skills.
Parents are keenly involved in their children's exams, especially in the lower levels of education. Some would even coach or provide tuition support for their children while others can only provide moral support. This is inevitable as human resource is a precious commodity in our country. In a meritocratic society, the attainment of a paper qualification assures one of a good well-paying job. Of course, some do buck the trend but in general, it is so. Little wonder then that tuition centres and private tutors are making big bucks. To emphasize more on continual assessment, many primary schools are doing away with exams for the first few years. This would entail carefully crafted rubrics (hard work by teachers) to gauge the performance of students in order to provide appropriate feedback.
We may not be taking exams now but the Bible exhorts us to conduct an examination on ourselves. And this is with regard to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor 13:5). The Corinthians were slow to respond when sin was manifested in their camp and that was why Paul had to use harsh terms to wake them up (2 Cor 13:1-3). When we have Christ in our lives, we would do the right thing especially standing up for what is true and not to rationalise things away (2 Cor 13:8). If we do the latter, according to Paul, we have failed the test of our faith.
Like David of old, let's cry out to God:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Ps 139:23-24 KJV)
May we all, who confess the name of the Lord, pass the test of life.
Shalom
For one, it enables students to revise and review their work in order to keep abreast with knowledge and skills set that are essential for the next level of work. Often times, future topics/subjects to be covered build upon earlier materials learnt. Though exams may create stress and anxiety amongst students, it nonetheless provides the impetus for students to work on grounding their concepts. This is where they could turn to their peers or tutors for help. As they do so, they pick up the important soft social skills in communicating and relating with one another. It is also a good way for them to develop courage and initiative.
Secondly, examinations serve to provide feedback to teachers and students concerning their level of mastery where different subjects are concerned. Teachers often practised "positive marking", which means, rewarding students for the correct knowledge and skills they have displayed. So a well constructed test paper would be able to ascertain the amount of acquisition a student has attained. If it is a formative exam, it would allow teachers to tailor their lessons accordingly to help their students level up their knowledge and skills. However, some exams are placement exams which serves as an instrument to allocate students into different schools according to their ranking amongst their cohort; the PSLE being a case in point. In this regard, competition for choice schools are thus decided.
For the students, examinations do provide them with feedback regarding where they've gone wrong such as making a careless mistake or not understanding a topic well. Taken in the right spirit, it should spur a child to improve on his/her performance the next time round. Students often lament that they do not have the time to cover the topics for the exams due to their heavy commitment in CCAs or other activities. This is where they need to learn how to plan and organise their schedules and priorities, which again are essential life-skills.
Parents are keenly involved in their children's exams, especially in the lower levels of education. Some would even coach or provide tuition support for their children while others can only provide moral support. This is inevitable as human resource is a precious commodity in our country. In a meritocratic society, the attainment of a paper qualification assures one of a good well-paying job. Of course, some do buck the trend but in general, it is so. Little wonder then that tuition centres and private tutors are making big bucks. To emphasize more on continual assessment, many primary schools are doing away with exams for the first few years. This would entail carefully crafted rubrics (hard work by teachers) to gauge the performance of students in order to provide appropriate feedback.
We may not be taking exams now but the Bible exhorts us to conduct an examination on ourselves. And this is with regard to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor 13:5). The Corinthians were slow to respond when sin was manifested in their camp and that was why Paul had to use harsh terms to wake them up (2 Cor 13:1-3). When we have Christ in our lives, we would do the right thing especially standing up for what is true and not to rationalise things away (2 Cor 13:8). If we do the latter, according to Paul, we have failed the test of our faith.
Like David of old, let's cry out to God:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Ps 139:23-24 KJV)
May we all, who confess the name of the Lord, pass the test of life.
Shalom
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